Physician of the Month: Dr. Najib Dally

When Teaching Is Not Just a Role, but Part of a Professional Identity

"Can Dr. Dally teach us all year long?" This comment, written in a student course evaluation, captures much of the story of Dr. Najib Dally: a physician and educator whose ability to make complex knowledge accessible, stimulate critical thinking, and provide personal attention is an integral part of his professional practice.

Dr. Dally is a specialist in Internal Medicine and Hematology and has served since 2007 as Director of the Hematology Institute and Blood Bank at Ziv Medical Center in Safed. He earned his medical degree from the University of Pécs in Hungary and later completed his residency training in Internal Medicine and Hematology at Rambam Health Care Campus. Under his leadership, the Hematology Institute has expanded significantly in terms of patient care, treatment options, and professional infrastructure. The institute has also been accredited as a hematology residency training center, contributing not only to advanced medical care for residents of Northern Israel but also to the training of future physicians in the field.

Dr. Dally began his teaching career in 2000 as a small-group instructor in the Internal Medicine Department at Rambam. Early in his teaching career, he received an Outstanding Lecturer Award, and since then has earned repeated recognition for excellence in both pre-clinical and clinical teaching. He has also received a university-wide excellence award and recognition from the Student Union for serving as a role model for students.

Since 2018, he has led the YAKAR Course (Foundations of Initial Clinical Skills), a central component of the curriculum that connects theoretical knowledge, clinical reasoning, and practical application. The course consistently receives outstanding student evaluations and has been recognized as one of the Faculty’s most highly regarded courses. In leading the course, Dr. Dally focuses not only on what students learn, but also on how they process and apply knowledge.

Among the innovations he has introduced is Team-Based Learning (TBL), an approach in which students work together to analyze medical problems, examine different perspectives, and develop shared solutions. This method transforms students from passive learners into active participants in the educational process, enabling them to practice critical thinking, discussion, and decision-making skills that are just as important to medical practice as knowledge itself.

This philosophy is also reflected in teaching sessions that use medical cases from the television series House as a foundation for critical clinical analysis. Through these discussions, students are encouraged to explore how diagnoses are developed, distinguish between television drama and medical reality, and recognize the limitations of the clinical reasoning presented on screen.

Alongside his teaching and clinical work, Dr. Dally's research focuses on blood coagulation during pregnancy, hematologic malignancies, and the clinical and human aspects of coping with these conditions. He has published dozens of scientific articles, received competitive research funding, and mentors students and residents in research projects. For him, the Hematology Institute is not only a place where patients receive care, but also an environment for learning, research, and the advancement of future medicine.

Dr. Dally’s work brings together the three core components of academic medicine: high-quality patient care, research driven by clinical questions, and teaching that prepares the next generation of physicians. As reflected in student feedback, excellent teaching is measured not only by grades, but by its ability to spark curiosity, deepen critical thinking, and provide tools that remain valuable long after the course has ended.